Lin a rest day - day nine 2/10/15

Lin a rest day

2nd October Friday 

day nine Via Egnatia 

A rest day, we stay in Lin for two nights.

Up for a beautiful breakfast at 7:30, then Rosa takes us up the hill behind her house to show us the Byzantine church ruins, she calls the guardian who meets us there with the keys to unlock the gates.

Basilica remains on the hill behind Rosa's B&B

The Guardian shows us some of the well preserved mosaics. Peacocks, grapes...

View from the Basilica remains down to the village of Lin. Lin has a population of about 1500 people.

Walking towards the remains of other old buildings,

And a communist bunker that was built on the site of an old church.

Locals still treat it as a church, there are icons and a shrine inside.

Roland said, that when the lake is still, on a sunny day you can see the outlines of stone walls under the water of the lake. There may have been an older settlement here, back towards Pogradec there are Illiryian tombs and remains. We walk back down to Rosa and Roland's house...

 Scampering down the cliffs  local "mountain goat" style! 😉

We're so lucky! Roland and Rosa have a plot of land behind the basilica where they grow grapes, and they're going to harvest them today for wine making. We ask if we could help with the harvest, and they say yes! I'm so excited! We get into Roland's boat and row around the corner to their land.

Patrick gives a helping hand!

Around the corner of the lake to their plot of land.

Rosa and Roland have a lovely garden with grape vines absolutely loaded with grapes! They have their house, and a couple of small plots of land around the village that they grow produce on.

I'm a happy harvester this morning! We use small serrated kitchen knives to cut the grapes off the vine.

Roland and Patrick harvesting.

In a short time, we've harvested eight crates of grapes! 

We decide that we'll walk back with Rosa, while Roland rows back.

It's a very scenic walk around the headland, past gardens and orchards.

We walk a little faster than Roland rows back!

Unloading the bounty!

The lake is teaming with fish! Some of these are fresh water "sardines" we ate some for lunch beautifully seasoned and crispy with bean soup... No photos, I was too busy enjoying it!

Lots of the locals head out with a net for a bit of fishing this afternoon, the patio is a great observation post!

Roland's cousin has collected mushrooms, this type requires quite a bit of preparation, washing, cleaning and scraping, then cooking.

Helping Rosa make dinner! Lakror, Really I just watched... It's such a skill to use the skinny rolling pin and flip the pastry, I was worried I'd mess it all up!

One had a filling of egg, cheese and yogurt, the other a cooked mixture of peppers, onion, tomato and a little cheese.

Finishing touches before it goes in the oven

And we enjoy the finished results! Yum! With side dishes of mushrooms, and peppers.

Good night 😊 back to walking tomorrow, we'll walk to Ohrid. 

I've  loved our experience exploring Lin and spending time with Rosa and Roland at their B&B!

Accommodation:

Rosa's B&B 25 euro per night for two people. Rosa’s B&B (+355 69 45 04577, English spoken)  €25 a night with breakfast

bedandbreakfastlin@gmail.com

Berzeshtal to Lin day eight 1/10/15

Berzeshtal to Lin

1st October Thursday 

day eight Via Egnatia 

19.5 km

We will detour slightly off the VE to stay at the village of Lin on Lake Ohrid tonight.
Left the lovely Kocali family about 8:30 after a very substantial breakfast! Eggs, sausage, bread, jam,yoghurt, coffee...

Came across the market at Berzeshte a few minutes after starting out, not sure if it's on every day, or if we were just lucky that we were walking through on Thursday morning!

You could buy any sort of livestock, cows, goats, sheep - 

household supplies and food.... A happening scene this morning!

 I buy a couple of apples, and when ask "how much"? I thought he said 10, I give him10 but that's not right, so I make the mistake of holding some coins out in my hand, quick as a flash, the stall holder plucks out a one euro coin! Oh well, I've got to say they were the most delicious apples! But I won't do that again! It's the first time I feel I've been taken advantage of throuout my time in Albania, and it was my own silly fault...

We head up the hill through the markets for a pleasant walk up through meadows towards Prrenjas.

Lovely walking again this morning

Walking through "rural suburbia"  near Perrenjas

Some buildings were partially constructed from mud brick in this area near Perrenjas.

12:45 , just after the path turns onto the main road, we stop off at a Lavazh and bar for a break and a cafe. the toilets are clean too!

Up the road for a while, past more Lavazh! (Car washes) 

Then over the railway bridge, I can't help,but feel,like I'm going to,get into trouble... I keep looking around furtively ready to make a dash for it!

Then it's up, up, up... The goat highway I'll call,it! Thousands of goats must have come this way over summer, and there's barely a blade of grass left.

It's satisfying and amazing to look back over where we've walked today, it looks such a long way from up here!

There's a handy spring to top up our water on the way up to the pass.

Meadows close to the Qukes - pass

Massive visually polluting advertising signs!

And our first glimpse of Lake Ohrid 

Beautiful walk down the pass, down the valley to Lin

Had a slightly scary encounter with some sheep guard dogs, at the ready to brandish out walking poles ( another good use of them) luckily the shepherd intervened and called the, away.

Beautiful walk down the valley to the Lake.

Lin is very picturesque!  

Staying at Rosas's B&B We walk along the lake, then continue straight ahead through the village, Rosa's B&B is opposite the church. Rosa is so welcoming! 

Grapes and Raki as a welcome, and we'll have dinner here too!

Lovely patio and aspect right on the lake, can't believe we witnessed a neighbour throwing rubbish into the lake though!

Look at these grapes!

Our room is clean, comfy and charming.

Dinner, local fish from the lake, salad from the garden, yoghurt sauce, local red wine... Two very satisfied walkers!

Accommodation:

Lin Village 

Patrick phoned and booked the room at Rosas B&B while we had a break in a bar next to a lavazh (car wash) 
Rosa’s B&B (+355 69 45 04577, English spoken) is €25 a night with breakfast and use of the boat.

bedandbreakfastlin@gmail.com

Rosa is delightful! Lovely and friendly and welcoming! had a Raki and grapes in the afternoon sunshine on the beautiful grape covered patio by the lake on arrival! Zgure!

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/15/east-european-road-trip-albania-tombs-via-egnatia